Tawakkol Karman calls on Yemenis to end UAE-Saudi occupation

2018-05-02

The human rights activist and Nobel Peace laureate Tawakkol Karman has called on Yemenis to be one hand against the Saudi-UAE control over vital parts of their country.

In a statement on social media, Mrs. Karman said that during today’s visit by high ranked Yemeni officials to the unesco-protected island, the UAE officially occupied the Yemeni island of Socotra and deployed troops that have taken control of the main island's airport and expelled Yemeni soldiers assigned to protect it.

She has blamed Yemen’s president and his PM for what for violating the sovereignty of Yemen by the UAE.

Angry protests have erupted on the Yemeni island of Socotra after the United Arab Emirates deployed four military aircraft and more than 100 troops to Socotra. Residents told Al Jazeera that the four Emirati aircraft arrived illegally on the island on Wednesday in an attempt to intimidate officials from the internationally recognised government who were making a rare visit to the archipelago.

Hundreds of Yemenis had come out to welcome Ahmed bin Daghr, Yemeni prime minister, and 10 of his ministers and to denounced the UAE's presence on the island.